Shofar July

YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ‘You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to YHVH.’" Leviticus 23:23-25

Yom Teruah basically means a day of noise/blasts.

 Yom Teruah is known as the Feast of Trumpets in Christianity and is better known as Rosh Hashannah (the new year) in modern Judaism.

 But Yom Teruah isn't really the 'Jewish New Year,' in fact, it falls on the first day of Etanim, (also known traditionally as Tishri) which is the seventh month in YHVH's calendar. 

The real 'new year' is in Aviv (also known traditionally as Nisan) when Pesakh/Passover occurs. 

Lets see what the feast of Trumpets, or the sounding of Shofar, means for us. 

 

According to Numbers 10, there were seven functions accomplished by blowing the trumpets.
First of all there was the calling of the assembly. When the priests blew the trumpets, all Israel would gather to the tent meeting, the tabernacle. They would all come to the center place where the glory of the Lord was revealed, that they might hear the Word of the Lord.
Second, they would blow the trumpets of silver for the journeying of the camps. When they saw the glory cloud moving, the priests blew the trumpets and everyone was alerted; they knew it was time to move on. 

 

When an alarm was blown the first time, one side of the camp would move, at the second alarm, another side would move. Imagine three million people, with all their flocks and herds, converging into a long line of march and beginning to journey.
Third, the preparation of war was by the blowing of the silver trumpets. When an adversary came against them, the priests would blow the trumpets; and as they sounded the alarm, they would be "remembered before the Lord their God and saved from their enemy" (Numbers 10:9).
The fourth function of the trumpets was for days of gladness. Whenever they were to have times of just pure joy- festivals, a wonderful, happy time- they would blow the trumpets and the people would come together. I hope in these days to come we have more times when we blow the trumpets for gladness than we blow them for war. Nevertheless, even though it be for times of conflict, it will be wonderful to have the trumpets of God sound forth.
Recently at my first Blue Man show I got a small glimpse of a visual picture of gladness of a sort.

 

 My wife and I were seated five rows back from the stage. 

 

The Blue men sent quite a few large balls out into the audience. 

 

They were lighted from within and seemed to have some helium in them so they floated when we pushed them into the air. 

 

The audience caught on quickly and started in a group participation activity of pushing these balls all over the lower level of the concert hall. 

 

As this continued there was laughter bursting out all over the place. 

 

Then  there was confetti and streamers falling from the ceiling. then the blue men started shooting long lines of large toilet paper out into the crowd. 

 

As large long silky, white fingers of fabric billowed out over us from both sides of the stage. 

 

They wiggled here and there, blowing warm air from their ends, lightly touching the crowd.

 

 By now the audience was coming together in a type of joyous celebration in the midst of all that was going on.

 

 Walls of separation were coming down and people were enjoying  themselves and laughing as they participated in the celebration that the Blue Men had initiated. 

 

After it was all over I could see the smiles and a much changed atmosphere. It all left me with a great feeling inside when it was all over...I suppose the Blue Men had made their point..."Don't worry, be happy."
God desires for us to have some days of gladness. When was the last time that you had days of gladness? 

 

Have you ever had days of gladness? 
Jesus said: John 10:10
... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
John 20:31
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Eternal life is the main thought in the above verses. There is also an aspect within the name of Jesus Christ whereby we can have abundance of life. I don't think that this means materialism like a tv evangelist     life style would suggest to us.

 I think this means a deep satisfaction with such as we have and a gladness as a fruitful result of this deep satisfaction. 

 

When we Christians come together as a community of believers, not under some sort of a man made Brand name churchianity, but as one body of believers in Christ Jesus alone; there is a joy and a gladness available to us. 
Jesus said: John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
He did not say, "They that are loyal to their brand of church..." He said they that believe in Me!
There is living water within you as a believer in Jesus Christ.  Blow your silver trumpet for days of gladness in your life. Set aside the worries and cares of this life for a few days and participate in days of gladness that the Lord would have all of us to enjoy. 
I blow the silver trumpet for days of gladness over your life. I proclaim that the rivers of living water shall flow forth to the surface and spill out on to others around you this day! 

 

I break the chains of toil and bondage with the blowing of the silver trumpet over you. 

 

I blow forth the free flow of the rivers of living water to gush like a broken fire hydrant on to everyone that would come into contact with you during these awesome days of gladness that the Lord has proclaimed.

 

 Yes, that the Lord has proclaimed.

 

 It is the will of Almighty God this day that you enter into the days of gladness with us. 
Be filled with expectancy as the Lord brings you into contact with others who have chosen to enter into these days of gladness with us...

 

 

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Deuteronomy 12:18
 ...and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.
Deuteronomy 30:9 And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:
1 Chronicles 16:10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
1 Chronicles 16:31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.
1 Chronicles 16:32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.
2 Chronicles 6:41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
Nehemiah 12:43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the childrenrejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
Job 21:12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.
Psalm 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Psalm 9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Psalm 20:5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Psalm 33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Psalm 40:16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
Life is choices and consequences of those choices. 

 

When we contemplate and focus upon our problems we magnify them.

 

Eventually they can appear overwhelming to us and bog us down with stress.

 

 If we choose to magnify the Lord and keep our focus on Him our problems diminish in our sight and we gain a proper perspective.

 

 Choose to rejoice in the Lord today in the face of your problems.  
Let all heaven and earth rejoice!

 

 Blessed be the name of the Lord.

 

 For He alone is worthy of all our praise. 

 

Today lift up your voice in rejoicing.

 

 May the gladness of Christ be your portion and may He lift you up from all that would try to overtake you.

 

 I cried unto the Lord and He heard me; I will rejoice and be glad in Him!